Like everything else in our lives, the administration of the new CBT format Mechanical PE Exams has been affected by the pandemic. There are a number of resulting changes, and you need to make sure you are aware of all that will impact exam scheduling, and the exam experience itself. We encourage you to confirm specific requirements for your testing location well before your exam appointment.
Your ability to schedule and take your exam may be more challenging due to backlogs from the period in March and April when testing centers were closed and to current reduced capacity at all testing centers due to social distancing requirements. For these same reasons, it’s possible that an exam appointment you have already scheduled could be canceled and you would then need to reschedule. You will be notified by your testing center if your exam appointment has been canceled. Temporary test centers are being opened to help mitigate these issues and increase testing capacity, so this situation could resolve itself over time.
The testing centers have introduced strict new COVID-19 screening measures for test takers, and you will not be admitted to the test center and should reschedule your exam if:
– you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days
– you are currently experiencing one or more COVID-19 symptoms
– you have had close contact with someone who has confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in the last 14 days
– you were under government ordered home quarantine in the last 14 days.
– you violate any travel restrictions that may be in place to reach the testing location.
Some test sites may also require a temperature check.
You will need to bring a face mask with you to the testing site because you will be required to wear a face mask the entire time you are in the testing center, including during your test. Any surgical or cloth face mask, including a homemade face mask, is acceptable, as long as your nose and mouth are fully covered. In the waiting area and during admission, you will also need to maintain 6+ feet of social distance from other people.
You can find more details about the new requirements here:
PEARSON | VUE Testing Centers:
https://home.pearsonvue.com/coronavirus-update
https://home.pearsonvue.com/Test-takers/Resources.aspx?ot=collapse156
NCEES:
https://ncees.org/covid-19/
We know that these measures introduce a new level of uncertainty to the already stressful endeavor of taking the PE Exam, but by being informed and prepared, you can meet this challenge with the calm needed to succeed.
